This video was from The Last Waltz, a concert movie directed by Martin Scorcese, it would be The Band's last ever concert together. Great choice, Jamel!
Bruh, this is a classic song which has been done many times and The Staples/Mavis have done it many times. A great version is when they sang with Marty Stuart who is a country artist who is really the caretaker of the history of country/blues and a family friend of the Staples family. Mavis is a jewel and she keeps on recording. There is a great documentary on her life out called "Mavis" and you need to check it. The Band was an amazing band with some members passing on like Levon Helm the drummer and others like Robbie Robertson still active.
Rolling Stone magazine appropriately placed this song in the top 50 of ALL songs ever recorded. By the way, The Band was originally Bob Dylan's band before going on alone. RIP Levon Helm. The coolest dude that ever lived.
@@lisaeischens2352 The Hawks, as they were know then, backed up Dylan during 1965's electric tour. Levon Helm quit the tour and Micky Jones was asked to sit in for the balance of the 66 tour.
Pops was battling memory issues at the end - if you watch her while he sings - she's holding on - but when he brings it home with annalee at the end of his part - she smiles a smile of pride/relief.
Other great Staples Singers songs: - I'll Take You There - Respect Yourself - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) - Oh La De Da (this one is great live) - Black Boy (a single that Roebuck "Pops" Staples did)
Fifty years after I first heard this song hanging out at a buddy's house back in high school, I still get tears in my eyes whenever I hear it. What a masterpiece, and thanks for reacting to it.
67 yr old white man here. Throughout my life I've heard some voices that never leave my mind. Pops Staple opens his mouth and you stop breathing loud so you can listen.
@@jenniferjack4346 This is what I came to say. Duane's slide guitar adds so much emotion, and then Aretha! hot damn she is pushing the bounds of that microphones limits and all the rawness just exudes from the recording like it was live right in front of you. Please @Jamel_AKA_Jamal give this recording of this great song a shot.
This is from the movie “The Last Waltz” which documented the farewell concert of the Band in 1976 - then they recorded some extra material in the studio, which is where this is from. Try the Staples Singers - Respect Yourself
My husband introduced me to The Last Waltz our first Thanksgiving together. We’ve listened every Thanksgiving Eve since 1992. Now we watch with our kids.
Correct you are, sir. Though not part of the actual San Francisco concert this IS a performance filmed for Scorcece's TLW. I bought the DVD decades ago and it STILL has not gotten old.
On of the best songs, ever. Levon said he had the best seat in the room, he got to watch the band and the audience at the same time. So miss Richard, Rick, and Levon. Life will never be as good without them.
@@GrainneCarney nope, Levon was 1st since they needed a really good drummer. Robbie 2nd then Rick. Can't remember whether Garth or Richard was 4th or 5th.
The Band was ground breaking. And Levon Helm, dummer and vocalist extroadinaire. And Mavis Staples, what a treasure! RIP Robbie Robertson and Levon. You will be missed. Pops Staples is music royalty.
Crazy that Eric Clapton always wanted to be in the Band even when he was in Cream. The band is the only group I have a poster of on my wall, which being born in the 90s is a rarity
Absolutely. Helm and Danko -well, all of them-were incredible but his line “Wait a minute Chester you know I’m a peaceful man!” always gives me chills. Saw the band with Dylan and the Dead in the mid-80s and it was a fantastic night to say the least.
The late great Levon Helm on drums/vocals. The legendary Mavis Staples from the Staples , and on bass/vocals that's the late Rick Danko. Legend has it that Rick did about 3 lines of coke before he did this lol. He was feeling good😉
Love that too....it's not "The Weight" without Danko singing the 4th verse...Other artists who cover "The Weight" botch it by omitting the 5th verse. *Denver & *Cocker
Met Rick's 1st wife Grace this past year at the dog park. Beautiful long gray hair; I said to her she looked like Grace Slick, and she giggled. Started talking music, and after I mentioned Janis Joplin, she says she was married to Rick Danko from 68 to 80?. I had recently watched the Festival Express film, where Rick and Janis lead a drunkin acoustic jam session . There was two unique people!. Grace had nothing bad to say about Rick. Truly loved him
Staple Family Singers had crossover hits in the 70's but their hearts are definitely in Gospel. They have magnificent vocals that take my breath away. The Father has passed I believe but the sisters are fantastic.
This is pure, soulful joy. I love The Band, especially Levon's voice--and the Staples. The charisma and voice of Mavis... and then when Pops comes in. Incredible.
Fun fact about this song. it starts with "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead" When Robbie wrote this he was playing a Martin guitar, looked in the sound hole and saw the "Made in Nazareth, Pennsylvania" label.
The story I heard was that the band was on tour and they took a detour to visit the Martin plant in Nazareth but got there too late, after they closed for the night.
For the 50th anniversary of this song Robbie Robertson the lead guitarist and songwriter of The Weight did a rendition of this song with musicians from around the world preforming all together at one time! It was FABULOUS! Well worth the time to watch the video!
This is From "The Last Waltz" it was The Bands last concert and featured many other artists like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, DrJon, Eric Clapton an many others. Literally any song from this concert by anyone is fantastic This was a 2 neck guitar/mandolin other ones are 2 neck 6 string/12 string guitars you really should check out more from this concert (the last waltz, its a concert documnetary film by martin scorsese)
Levin Helm had a hand in the birth of Rock and Roll. He was insanely gifted, everyone wanted to play with him. He was an amazing actor as well. His cameo in Shooter was sublime
I love Rick Danko’s base and vocals and with Levon Helms together they just have such a warm and unique sound. Mavis is such a powerful woman with that voice of fire!
@@pabsts____3964 My pleasure. Saw the film at the cinema when it first came out and noticed it then. Probably wouldn't have noticed it on a small screen. Stay Safe.
@@michaelfinlay6341 Heard Mavis on a radio interview last year. She said that The Band knew Staples songs that her and the family had forgotten about. She said that Levon insisted on calling Pops, Roebuck, which was his real name, although nobody else called him that. Was on BBC Radio, possibly Sounds of the 70s.
The Staple Singers were a legendary gospel group who crossed over to the secular market. Their songs always had a message. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, this video was from 1976, Levon Helm, the singing drummer for The Band has passed (2012), Pops Staples (2000), Cleotha Staples (2013), and Yvonne Staples (2018) have also passed. However, Mavis Staples, the lead singer and hand clapper on the video is still going strong. She recently turned 81!!
Hey Jamal, it’s me again that 63 year old white man I check in from time to time. I’m so glad you bring up this music, yes during the 60s and 70s there was much trouble in our nation so much like there is today but black and whites got together put their differences together and created music meaningful music. I have so many staple singer albums pop staples I could sit and listen to him all day. So with Robbie Robinson gone things finally come to an end. Thank you so much for letting me speak my mind God bless
The movie "The Last Waltz" was directed by Martin Scorsese and is The Band playing with about 15 other guest stars to mark the breakup of the band. The Band formed as Ronnie Hawkins' backup band when he moved north to become a regular in the Toronto music scene, and they are all Canadians except for drummer Levon Helm. When Bob Dylan went from acoustic to electric they toured as his band, and he would just introduce them onstage as "the band", so they just continued to call themselves that. The movie, released in 1978, with its combination of live performances and interviews with band members is still considered one of the best rock movies ever. Also see all of the Y.Tube interview segments of singer/guitarist Robbie Robertson talking about his experiences. The double necked guitar is just a 6 string neck plus a 12 string neck, like Jimmy Page and Alex Lifeson sometimes use. They don't usually play them the whole night because of - the weight.
I have not seen Alex Lifeson from Rush with the D-Necked guitar. BUT, Rik Emmet of Triumph did/does carry one. Both bands are three-man from Toronto, Canada. Triumph was cool, but had a real short life span. Rush...the rest is history...
I'm not a big watcher of reaction videos, but Jamel's sincere appreciation of great music really sets his videos apart. I'm so glad he got to react to this song. I wish I could hear it for the first time again. In the original recording of this song, Levon Helm (the drummer) sings the first three verses, Rick Danko (the bassist) sings the fourth, and they harmonize on the fifth. Here, Mavis Staples takes the second verse from Helm and Pops Staples takes the third, and as would be expected they nail their parts. The performance is almost otherworldly. Jamel's reaction when Rick Danko comes in is amusing; Jamel wasn't expecting yet another singer, but that was always Danko's verse. As much as I adore the voices of Levon Helm and Richard Manuel, I think Danko was The Band's best and most dynamic singer. Putting the golden pipes of Pops Staples right before Danko was a masterstroke of production. Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Pops Staples, and Rick Danko are all gone now; the only lead singer from these two groups that is still alive is Mavis Staples. Long may she carry on with that incredible voice.
The Band is definitely a band worth exploring. Ophelia, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Evangeline (with emmylou Harris), King Harvest and so many more. Their blend of roots, blues, country, soul and rock is so cool and unique. Aretha Franklin also covered this song (with a pre Allman Bros Duane Allman playing guitar) it's a great version too.
@@Akentrophyta of course, how could I forget. That era of Dylan is honestly probably my favorite. It always amazed me how these so called "progressives" were so hostile towards Dylan when he went electric when lyrically, he was still writing FABULOUS songs. Ironic how the "progressives" and "free thinkers" were so close minded.
With the current controversy about Confederate statues, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down deserves a second look. Love the song but it definitely humanizes the confederate solider. One might even say that glorifies the south.
@@mwa9113 I disagree, but I'm not going to tell anybody how to think. I've listened to that song hundreds of times, because I'm a huge fan of The Band and I never got the sense its glorifying anything, it's simply telling a story. A line has to be drawn between a song like that (and songs like it, Dicky Betts "Atlantas burning down" for example) and songs like Hank Williams Jr singing songs like "if the south would've won" where he clearly says the line "if the south would've won wed have it made." If anything, "the night they drove old Dixie down" tell the story of hard times, and doesnt paint the South in a positive way at all. In today's climate, yes, it may be a bit edgy but it's not glorifying or demeaning. It's simply a story about a massive part of our history.
You should take an evening and watch " The Last Waltz" with "The Band" and the coolest guests ever, best musical movie I've ever watched, only time I can ever recall seeing Bob Dylan smile.
We lived back in the day where music was the great uniter, not a divider. We still had tension in the air in places, but we all came together. Black, white, brown, any race or religion, didn’t matter when the bands began to play.✌️✌️❤️
Every song performed at this show is arguably the best version of that song ever done. The Van Morrison and the Band doing Caravan is other worldly. They had Neil Young, Ringo Star, Bob Dylan, and more plus The Band and The Staples. Martin Scorcesse remastered this show, which I believe is the video that is seen here. Goosebumps is right.
From last waltz. Absolutely. I’m a drummer who sings. I find it easy by accident. Others struggle. Just accidental really. But I could never pull off the subtleties of the ghost noes, military rolls and tempo / rhythm swaps while nailing a fairly decent range of vocals. He was from space that guy, so good. Kinda like ringo, you notice him because you kind of don’t. His playing inhabits the song, not merely moves it from verse to chorus. Underrated the both. Not by drummers tho, which should really tell you enough.
I absolutely understand your reaction when Pops Staples sings.... The Staples and The Band are two of my favorites. Tears comes to my eyes every time I hear the harmonies of this song..! ❤️❤️❤️
Bands like this are why the best music was done in the 70's. You can SEE how much the music means to them . They got soooo much pleasure playing for an audience. You can FEEL their joy, their passion. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!
It takes brass cojones to sing with the staples. They are just a whole other level. Levon can hang with them and Rick Danilo’s voice was made for crazy Chester part. But the staples? Just wow. Goosebumps indeed. They just exude soul.
This is arguably the greatest live recording ever, and I’m not the only one who thinks it. There’s inspiration gifted from so many different genres, coming together from every direction to create the perfect musical performance. I’d suggest we’re all better for knowing it. Thanks for reviewing this- chin chin!
@@JohnnyOgres I totally agree!!!! I love the Staples Singers. RIP to those who have gone ahead. Mavis is still with us as far as I know - but Pops!!!! God, I loved him.
@@kathlelan Not only is Mavis still with us, but she's been releasing great albums produced by Jeff Tweedy from Wilco the past few years. Tweedy also mixed and produced Pops Staples' final album--also released in the past few years.
Do yourself a favor & listen to it again, but let it play another second or two longer before stopping it so you can hear Mavis whisper, at the very end, “Beautiful!” Such a perfect ending! 💚
Jamel... you have moved my soul. I saw that film when it first came out and was never the same since. Thank you for your appreciation of the great music from my era. You are an old soul. Love ya, bro.
I read that The Weight's lyrics are actually not about anything in particular, just a set of verses that go together. It's one of my favorite songs and this version is so incredible.
Scorsese’s brilliant “Last Waltz.” So many awesome performances of The Band with special guests. I am a huge fan of Robbie Robertson. Would love for you to react to “Somewhere Down the Crazy River!”
My first comment to you and it’s this- Anyone who listens to this song and isn’t moved must close their eyes and- LISTEN AGAIN!!! This song was one of the greatest songs ever written -,and this version from The last Waltz with the Staple singers is nothing short of greatness- Pops Staples has a sweet voice and Mavis Staples voice is one of the most soulful your ears will ever hear!!!
tech note: when you begin and end a piece of text with a hyphen, the text is put in strikeout, like so: -strikeout- . if you put spaces between the hyphen and the text - like this - it should be fine.
Most of these folks are gone now, but the world is a much brighter place for them having been here, and for what they've left us. So glad you liked it.
Just to add, I had the great good fortune to be at The Band’s reunion at New Orleans Jazz Fest. Fabulous! Same stage had quite the visitors: Joan Baez, Run DMC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and lots more. Other stages had the Neville Brothers, Pete Seeger, Beausoleil, Wild Tchapatoulas, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Queen Ida, Al Green, Taj Mahal… yeah, awesome!
